The Tel Aviv District Court on Tuesday began hearing testimonies in the case pending against former President Moshe Katsav.
Katsav faces several counts of rape, performing an indecent act and sexual harassment against former female employees in the Office of the President and the Tourism Ministry.
The former president arrived at the courthouse at 10 am. Outside, some 15 women representing several rape crisis centers gathered in a show of support for the complainants.
His day in court. Katsav(Photo: Yaron Brener)
"Now that the press has tried and convicted the former president, we ask that the court be allowed to examine the matter thoroughly and in peace," Attorney Amnon Shomron, Katsav's spokesman, told reporters.
Attorney Zion Amir, who heads the former president's defense team added: "We trust the court and we will spare no effort to uncover the truth. God willing, we will prove his case."
The trail began with opening arguments from both the prosecution and the defense. The first witness to take the stand was L. – a former employee at the Office of the President, who claims Katsav molested her four years ago.
A., who Katsav is accused of allegedly raping and who is considered the prosecution's star witness, is expected to take the stand at the later stage of the trial, which is expected to last several months.
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